Social Identities,Power, and Privilege: The Importance of Difference in Establishing Early Group Cohesion

This article explores the developmental and sociocultural context of difference, as well as the importance of engaging difference in order to establish group cohesion. As groups provide a microcosm of social life, they possess the ability to replicate oppressive systems. If group leaders don’t proactively engage this material, starting with their own awareness, it increases the likelihood that the trauma of marginalized experience will be replicated, thus decreasing possibility for repair and working through. Appreciating the developmental strivings for sameness and the fears of difference is fundamental to understanding the resistance many of us can experience around exploring our identities or helping others engage with this material. Creating a group culture that conceives of difference as the glue for group cohesion and sets a frame for this exploration starts with the leaders’ use and awareness of self. The author also explores patriarchal narratives around power and aggression and how these narratives may have influenced group work theory and technique.